Optical non-linear artificial dielectrics

US5063418A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Richard R. Shurtz, II · Fairfax, US
• Edward J. Sharp · Fort Washington, US
• James E. Miller · Highlands Ranch, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 31, 1989
• Grant date: Nov 5, 1991
• Expiry date: Oct 31, 2009

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N70/00
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Non-linear optical materials, i.e., those optical materials whose indices refraction depend on input radiation intensity, are few and of low non-linearities; this invention uses various metallic patterns on a transparent substrate, with non-linear elements between parts of the patterns, to function as an artificial dielectric. These elements may take the form of metal-oxide-metal tunnel diodes, Schottky diodes, p-n junction diodes, superlattice structures, and non-linear capacitors.